War-torn Lebanon forms its first government in over 2 years
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BEIRUT — Lebanon’s new prime minister on Saturday formed the country’s first full-fledged government since 2022.
President Joseph Aoun announced in a statement that he had accepted the resignation of the former caretaker government and signed a decree with new Prime Minister Nawaf Salam forming the government.
Salam vowed to “restore confidence between citizens and the state, between Lebanon and its Arab surroundings, and between Lebanon and the international community” and to implement reforms needed to bring the country out of an extended economic crisis.
“Reform is the only path to a true salvation,” he said in a speech on Saturday.
The cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah ended the deadliest bout of violence between the two sides in decades.
He also promised to follow up on implementation of a cease-fire agreement that ended the most recent war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group and political party Hezbollah in late November and to ensure that Israeli forces “withdraw from Lebanese territory until the last inch.” He pledged to ensure reconstruction in areas that suffered destruction during the war.
Salam’s cabinet of 24 ministers, split evenly between Christian and Muslim sects, was formed less than a month after he was appointed, and comes as Lebanon is scrambling to rebuild its battered southern region and maintain security along its borders.
Lebanon is also still in the throes of a crippling economic crisis, now in its sixth year, which has battered its banks, destroyed its state electricity sector and left many in poverty, unable to access their savings.
Salam, a diplomat and former president of the International Court of Justice, has vowed to reform Lebanon’s judiciary and economy and bring about stability in the country, which has faced political, economic and security crises for decades.
New government marks a shift away from Hezbollah
Hezbollah did not endorse Salam, but it did engage in negotiations with the new prime minister over the Shiite Muslim seats in government, as per Lebanon’s power-sharing system.
That was despite comments by U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus who said in a speech in Beirut on Friday that Washington had “set clear red lines from the United States” that Hezbollah would not be “a part of the government.” The comments drew backlash from many in Lebanon who saw them as meddling in internal Lebanese affairs.
Lebanon’s new authorities also mark a shift away from leaders close to Hezbollah. Beirut hopes to continue improving ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations who have been concerned by Hezbollah’s growing political and military power over the last decade.
Aoun, a former army chief, was elected president in early January. He was also not endorsed by Hezbollah. He has shared similar sentiments to Salam, vowing to consolidate the state’s right to “monopolize the carrying of weapons,” in an apparent reference to the arms of Hezbollah.
Chehayeb writes for the Associated Press. AP journalist Abby Sewell contributed to this report.
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